Appeals Court Extends Don't Ask, Don't Tell

The law barring gay men and women from serving openly in the military will remain in place until at least next spring, a federal appeals court has decided. The three-judge panel voted 2-1 in favor of continuing to block a decision from a lower court which banned the Pentagon from enforcing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, CNN reports. The judges noted that legislation pending in Congress to repeal the policy would render the case before them moot.

The policy will now stay in place while the government appeals the order blocking it. A lawyer for the Log Cabin Republicans, which sued to have the law overturned, said the group is considering appealing to the Supreme Court. "The decision only slows the day when military service will be available to all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation, who want nothing more than to serve their country honorably and patriotically," he said.
(More Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal stories.)